What is the primary purpose of a corrective action?

The primary purpose of a corrective action is to eliminate the causes of nonconformities and prevent their recurrence. This concept is rooted in quality management principles, where the focus is on identifying issues that lead to defects or failures in processes, products, or services. By addressing the root causes, organizations can implement changes that not only fix the existing problems but also ensure that they do not happen again in the future. This proactive approach is essential in maintaining quality and improving overall performance.

On the other hand, documenting procedures for quality control is an important aspect of quality management, but it does not directly address and rectify failures or nonconformities. Similarly, improving employee training programs and assessing customer satisfaction levels are valuable activities within a quality framework, but they do not specifically target the resolution of nonconformities in processes or products. Corrective actions focus specifically on understanding and mitigating the underlying reasons for issues to enhance the reliability and quality of outputs consistently.